The 2023 Dr. Lydia W. Thomas Legacy Award recognizes How-Kai (Helga) Tong, a cyber security expert who has dedicated her career to supporting the military and intelligence community in protecting against cyber threats.

Despite facing challenges as part of an immigrant family, Tong has excelled in her field and is an advocate for promoting STEM education.

At Peraton Inc., she performs audits to help improve security systems and is involved in mentoring programs. Tong is a guiding light for those seeking a career in cyber security and is actively working towards a more diverse workforce.

Qian "Beth" Zou, a well-known figure at the Women of Color STEM Conference, was a panelist for the Leaders & Legends forum for several years.

She has been an associate dean and professor at Oakland University for almost twenty years, having joined the university as a visiting instructor in 2002.

Dr. Zou hails from China and holds a bachelor's, master's, and Ph.D. in precision instruments and technology from Tsinghua University.

The Women of Color STEM Conference honors exceptional women in STEM and provides them with opportunities for professional development, networking, and recruitment.

The conference focuses on empowering women in STEM careers and ensuring that their exceptional achievements and contributions are highly visible to all conference attendees.